Friday, January 31, 2014

Chances are, if you are looking for best quality, it comes from here. North western NSW or south western Queensland.

Nothing would survive out here if it was not for bore water and the best 2 inventions in addition to water for outback cattle stations are- the UHF radio and poly pipe.

My uncle, Jim Cotter, on Boorara (now Kilcowera) at a cave near the Murders bore

When my grandfather worked these properties, bore water flowed across open "table drains". This is much less efficient than using pipe to run the water to water troughs.

Its a primary function of cattle production to keep these troughs clean. Cattle don't drink from dirty troughs, and in drought, the troughs become focal points for native wildlife, stock, was well as ferals.

Pigs, for example, will have a swim and sometimes their young will too. Sadly unable to get back our they can drown. I need not tell you what that results in.

Rounds troughs are not as good as long troughs, as they are more like a swimming pool. Longer troughs reduce the number of animals that choose to swim.

Dave checking the well being of the cattle dogs whilst the Cruiser idles in the heat… the terrain not much different to 60+ years ago...

So, Dave and myself spent the day with my cousin Frosty, driving across a couple of hundred thousand acres, cleaning troughs. Its simple enough- a scrubbing brush, pull the plug and let the water out. Some of the troughs were ok- just. Others, on a neighbouring property were utterly putrid and stank.

Its hot work.. You count even risk turning off the land cruiser in the heat..as it may not start, and it can be 80km to walk back. Impossible in 50c heat.

Frosty giving the dogs a swim in 50c heat as we clean the trough

Again, like the day before by 2pm its just too hot to continue, so an ice cold beer and a chat were the order of the afternoon.

How can you tell a good cattleman? By how clean his troughs are. Frosty's are very clean!

" So remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Be curious and however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't give up" Prof. Hawkins 2012